Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia's state-owned company ROSATOM for the development of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) based on thorium fuel.

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis between the Maharashtra State Power Generation Co Ltd (MAHAGENCO) and ROSATOM's 'Small Modular Reactor with Thorium Fuel' initiative.
• This is perhaps for the first time a state government will be venturing into the arena of nuclear energy which has otherwise been exclusively under the control of the Department of Atomic Energy.
• A senior state government official, however, stressed that any step forward will be taken only after the approval of the Centre.
• The main objective of the MoU is to jointly develop a thorium reactor in Maharashtra, commercialise thorium reactors as per safety standards of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), and establish an assembly line for thorium reactors under the 'Make in Maharashtra' initiative.